Some fans of the “Iron Man” movies may have been worried that, like many other sequels or trilogies, the newest movie would not compare to its predecessors. Thankfully, “Iron Man 3” held its own with fresh new ideas and explorations of the consequences of Tony Stark’s party lifestyle.

This film differed from the other two because Stark had to face many different villains at the same time, some of which he was not even aware of. The villain that publically gave Stark the most trouble was the terrorist known as the Mandarin.

The Mandarin was the elusive leader of the Ten Rings, a terrorist organization. After a series of attacks forced the famous Iron Man to make a public announcement challenging the Mandarin, Stark’s manor was attacked, putting himself and his girlfriend Pepper Potts in danger.

Narrowly escaping with his life, Stark found himself stranded in a situation where his technology was useless. Forced to work with little resources while faking his own death, Stark was able to find a way to save the woman he loves and to defeat anyone who wishes him harm.

One unique feature of this film is that it expands its plotline outside of the parameters of the “Iron Man” films and elaborates on the consequences of Stark’s actions in the 2012 film “The Avengers.”

In “The Avengers,” Stark sacrificed himself to protect New York City from a very dangerous enemy. Although he lived through this ordeal, in “Iron Man 3,” Stark suffered from insomnia and anxiety after his encounters in New York City.

Not only does this film concentrate on the consequences of his more recent past, but it also delved into the aftereffects of Stark’s frivolous life. Throughout all of the “Iron Man” movies, it has been no secret that Stark enjoyed the more wild things in life: money, women and partying.

Although Stark matured in the past two movies, his actions still sometimes reflected the party boy he once was, and in more than one occasion, his past had dire consequences for the present.

During “Iron Man 3,” Stark’s decisions to spend his night with a woman rather than paying attention to important research created a villain the likes of which Stark hasn’t faced before.

With an advanced foe, Stark’s technology received an update, allowing his suit to fly to his location and build itself around him. Due to his insomnia, Stark created a larger number of advanced suits, which in turn, led to some really good action scenes that did not disappoint.

There were some scenes in the movie that may have made a small portion of female fans very happy. In the scene in which Stark’s home was attacked, Potts jumped into one of Stark’s suit and protected him. And, further in the movie, Potts proved she was capable of standing up for herself and Stark.

With such a good trilogy, some fans may be startled by the ending of “Iron Man 3.” Stark made decisions that could very well end his reign as the man in the iron suit. It is unclear whether this means that Robert Downey Jr. will cease playing this part or there will be no more Iron Man movies.

There is also the possibility that the torch will be passed down to a younger generation. Whatever the consequences may be, this brings up the question of what will happen in the next “Avengers” movie. Will they simply make an excuse as to why Stark is missing from the team?